Is Queens a Good Place to Live?
Thinking about moving to Queens? Here are some pros and cons of living in Queens to help you decide.
Median Age
42 Years
Largest Age Group
30-39 Years
Approximately 14% of Residents
Under 20
22%
Over 65
20%
Queens
Queens, NY Area Guide
Avg Rent
$3,524
Population
2,201,136
Renter Mix
61% Rent
Beautiful and affordable Queens takes the crown
Diverse
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Culture
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Walkable
•
Public Transit
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Waterfront
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Live like royalty in the borough that has some of the best cuisine, entertainment, and attractions in the city. Queens is a sprawling New York City borough, covering 109 square miles — the most land of all the city’s boroughs.
If you’re looking for a borough where you can get a little more bang for your buck, Queens has a much lower cost of living compared to Manhattan — by more than 56 percent. Groceries, entertainment, and even transportation costs are lower in Queens, making it an attractive borough for those who want to enjoy everything New York City has to offer, but at a lower price tag.
Like most of NYC, getting around Queens is a breeze. There are more than 80 rail stations, and the borough is extremely walkable and bike-friendly. It’s also home to John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. For those with cars, Queens provides easy access to I-678, I-495, and I-295.
When you live in Queens, you aren’t in a concrete jungle. To the contrary, you’ll enjoy sprawling parks and gardens, zoos, and other green spaces. Flushing Meadows Corona Park is a beautiful destination, and so is Queens Botanical Garden. Other great destinations include the Queens Zoo, the New York Hall of Science, Resorts World Casino, Queens Museum, and the Unisphere.
Explore the City
In Fort Totten, shopping is never far.
The Roxbury neighborhoods, offers residents easy bay and city access.
At the heart of the Roxbury neighborhood lies its inviting beach.
The closest subway stop to Breezy Point is the Rockaway Park-Beach 116 Street stop.
The NYC Ferry provides alternate travel options from Long Island City, Queens.
Residents enjoy walks through green spaces in the Hunter's Point section of Queens.
Demographics
Median Household Income
$75,353
Average: $99,773
Education
684,611
Residents Have a Degree
Job Market
1,110,903
Workers Employed
Age Distribution
Get a sense of this area's population profile.
Housing Distribution
Queens has more renters than homeowners.
Renters
61%
Non-Renters
39%
Education Distribution
Review this city's overall education levels.
Bachelor's or Higher
26%
Other Education
74%
Rent Trends
As of May 2026, the average apartment rent in Queens, NY is $2,958 for a studio, $3,531 for one bedroom, $4,741 for two bedrooms, and $6,321 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Queens has increased by 1.4% in the past year.
Property Type
Average Rent
Average Sq Ft
Apartment
$3,531/month
574 Sq Ft
House
$4,245/month
911 Sq Ft
Condo
$2,593/month
535 Sq Ft
Townhome
$3,405/month
1,146 Sq Ft
Cost of Living
The cost of living in Queens, NY is 53.8% higher than the national average. Generally, housing in Queens is 157.9% more expensive than the national average, with rent falling between $2,958 - $6,321. You can expect to pay 13.8% more for groceries, 17.2% more for utilities, and 7.5% more for transportation.
Compare Cities
Learn More About Queens
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Getting Around
Explore how walkable, bikeable, drivable, and transit-friendly Queens, NY is for everyday living.
Moderately Walkable
Walkability
60
/ 100
Strong Public Transit
Transit
80
/ 100
Moderately Drivable
Drivability
60
/ 100
Fairly Bikeable
Bikeability
40
/ 100
Scores provided by
Schools
The Active Learning Elementary School
Public
Grades PK-5
459 Students
Ps 117 J Keld Briarwood School
Public
Grades PK-5
773 Students
Ps 175 The Lynn Gross Discovery School
Public
Grades PK-5
710 Students
Public
Grades PK-5
610 Students
Forte Preparatory Academy Charter School
Public
Grades K-12
559 Students
Public
Grades 6-12
1,185 Students
Forte Preparatory Academy Charter School
Public
Grades K-12
559 Students
Baccalaureate School for Global Education
Public
Grades 6-12
523 Students
Hunters Point Community Middle School
Public
Grades 6-8
404 Students
I.S. 227 Louis Armstrong Intermediate School
Public
Grades K-8
1,558 Students
Public
Grades 9-12
1,344 Students
Bard High School Early College Queens
Public
Grades 9-12
643 Students
Queens High School For The Sciences At York College
Public
Grades 9-12
495 Students
Public
Grades 6-12
1,185 Students
Frank Sinatra School Of The Arts High School
Public
Grades 9-12
855 Students
School data provided by
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Data provided by
GreatSchools.org
© 2026. All rights reserved.
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Data provided by
GreatSchools.org
© 2026. All rights reserved.
Points of Interest
Parks and Recreation
- Forest Park - Brooklyn-Queens
- Baisley Pond Park
- Rufus King Park
- Highland Park Childrens Garden
- Linden Playground
Military Bases
Airports
- John F Kennedy International
- LaGuardia
Top Apartments in Queens
Houses for Rent in Queens
Property Management Companies in Queens, NY
Living in Queens
Search Nearby Rentals
Nearby City Rentals
Nearby Neighborhood Rentals
Nearby House Rentals
Methodology
† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.
Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.
Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2026.
Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.